1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a method and apparatus for attracting the attention of people in public places and engaging them in a touch-free interaction with a multimedia display using an image-capturing system and a set of Computer Vision algorithms as a means of informing the public (useful for advertising) as well as collecting data about/from the users.
2. Background of the Invention
In the digital generation, people require a new paradigm for getting information and entertainment, especially in a public place. With the overflow of information, such as the flood of emails, the new paradigm should be able to provide an outstanding and unique experience to the user in order to attract them to the information efficiently. The invention, disclosed in this document, is named, Virtual Touch Entertainment (VTE) Platform. The VTE Platform is a system, which not only informs the public with a whole new way of interaction but also creates an entertaining virtual experience with the rich multimedia content. While it enhances the user interaction, the VTE Platform is also able to measure the user experiences providing an information database about the users to the owner of the particular embodiment of the VTE Platform. Some of the key terms in the VTE Platform are “Public Engagement”, “Touch-Free Interface”, “Interactive System”, and “Infotainment Platform”.
The VTE Platform is primarily targeted for public engagement. In a particular standalone embodiment, which will be shown later in this document, the VTE Platform is hard to miss in the public place, such as the exposition, at nearly 10 feet tall with a rich multimedia display. The embedded VTE Platform, as another form of the embodiment of the invention, can also be used seamlessly in any public place without the obtrusive structure to the pre-exiting setup, yet adapting to the new paradigm of the interaction and infotainment provision. The Touch-free Interface is another strong feature what makes the VTE Platform unique because it provides a new paradigm of user interaction and creates an exciting experience to the user.
In the VTE Platform, the users are able to experience interactive and creative digital multimedia Infotainment. The “Infotainment” is the composite word of “information” and “entertainment”. In other words, the VTE Platform is an interactive digital multimedia management system, which provides such a creative infotainment experience to the user. Rich digital images, delivered through high quality displays, and audio, emitted through a sound system, can have any creative content in the VTE Platform. If the VTE Platform is connected to the network, the Internet connectivity enables the accurate and timely delivery of new rich multimedia content and information update.
Advertisement is one good exemplary domain, where the VTE Platform can be applied successfully. The VTE Platform provides an unsurpassed opportunity for the owner of a specific system to create a personalized interaction with the customers. The user of the VTE Platform could become the model in the advertising content, using the Computer Vision based technologies, such as face detection and superimposition, strongly imprinting the owner's brand in the user's mind. The interactivity with the VTE Platform by Touch-free interaction technology based on the body movements can further increase the advertisement effect.
Education is another exemplary domain where the VTE Platform can be applied successfully. With a slight variation for this specific context, the VTE Platform can become an entertaining educational tool for kids, and this can be termed as “edu-tainment” VTE Platform for kids.
The VTE Platform not only creates the infotainment experience to the user, but also gathers data about the users in the view of the image-capturing system. The data gathering services utilize computer vision technologies to provide visibility to customer traffic, composition, and behavior. This is explained in detail by R. Sharma and A. Castellano, “Method for augmenting transaction data with visually extracted demographics of people using computer vision”, U.S. Provisional Patent, 60/402,817, Aug. 12, 2002, and by R. Sharma and T. Castellano, “Automatic detection and aggregation of demographics and behavior of people using computer vision”, U.S. Provisional Patent, 60/399,246, Jul. 29, 2002. These services include detection of customers, their classification into segments based on demographics, and the capture of information about their interaction with the VTE Platform. The exemplary statistics gathered by the VTE Platform can include;                the total number of people who entered the capture zone in a give time period;        the total number of people who actually interacted with the system (or entered the “hot spot”);        the division of people in demographic groups, including gender, race, broad age group;        the traffic measurement, such as traffic composition by time of day, day of week, and demographic shifts; and        the customer behavior, such as the time spent in the queue, in the store, at a display or whether the purchases are made or not.        
This data collection in the VTE Platform enables immediate feedback of marketing initiatives, better understanding of customer behavior, and automated means of measurement. Retailers are constantly seeking to unlock the secrets to customer behavior, captivating them with meaningful communications in order to convert them into buyers of products and services. The data collection based on the computer vision technologies in the VTE Platform can provide the solutions for this business needs to make informed business decisions.